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Having an Unplugged Wedding Day

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Considering having an “Unplugged Ceremony” or even an unplugged wedding day? Learn some of the popular reasons couples are going unplugged.

Having an Unplugged Wedding Day
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One topic that comes up often in our community and in wedding planning discussions is the idea of having an “Unplugged Ceremony” or even an unplugged wedding day. In case you are unfamiliar with this term, it means that the couple requests that their guests refrain from using their phones, cameras, or other electronic devices during the ceremony (or sometimes the entire wedding day!)

There are several reasons why couples might opt to have an electronics-free wedding day, so we’re examining what the most popular reasons are, as well as sharing pros and cons of hosting an unplugged wedding day.

There are positives and negatives to both sides, which makes this decision a personal, and sometimes difficult one. To help you decide, let’s break down the pros and cons of having an unplugged vs a plugged-in wedding.

Why have an unplugged ceremony? The benefits of an unplugged wedding.

Ensures an unobstructed view for your wedding documentarians: aka your photographer and/or videographer

Having an unplugged wedding ensures space for your vendors to capture what they need. The last thing you want is for your guests to get in the way of the pros you’ve paid to capture your wedding. Talk about throwing money down the drain!

You’ll avoid the pain of paying for photos of guests being blocked by cameras, phones, or worse–iPads. Wouldn’t you rather have photos of your guests during the ceremony laughing and crying along with you?

If guests attempt to get snapshots of their own, they will likely get in the way of your professional photographer. Do you really want your guests to possibly ruin the shot of your first kiss? Let alone what excess camera flash does to your pro’s lighting conditions!

A perfect example of how a guests' flash at your wedding (phone or camera) can and WILL ruin the shot ... there is NO amount of editing to fix this.  Read the article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bridal-guide/why-you-might-want-to-con_b_3331528.html
A perfect example of how a guests’ flash at your wedding (phone or camera) can and WILL ruin the shot … there is NO amount of editing to fix this. Read the article here.

Allows your guests to be present

Having an unplugged ceremony allows the guests to relax and be present during the ceremony from start to finish. You don’t want your guests to be distracted by their phones the entire ceremony. You may even want to keep them from bringing them into the ceremony for that matter.

A wedding is a big, meaningful moment in your lives. You intentionally invited your guests to be a part of it. If you didn’t want your guests to be actively present and involved, you could’ve just gone to the courthouse and saved yourself the hassle.

If you invite your guests to celebrate with you, let them be present in their thoughts and hearts to take in the full moment. Taking away their tech is actually giving them a gift of freedom. Let the professionals who you hired be in charge of capturing the memories.

unplugged wedding - wedding guests in aisle at ceremony
CRINGE! You don’t want to see THIS when you walk down the aisle! You want to see your guests’ faces.
Source: http://neilvn.com

Maintains your privacy

If you don’t want photos of your wedding ceremony posted all over social media before you’ve even had a chance to see them, unplugged is the way to go.

Perhaps there are people who you really don’t want to see photos from your day. Some couples see their wedding as an intimate, private part of their lives– especially if you’re only inviting a small number of people to witness it.

You will have professional photos to share with loved ones who weren’t able to make it. Point being, this is your wedding day – not a public affair to be broadcast over the internet and Facebook. (Unless of course, you have certain loved ones tuning in from afar via a wedding live stream.)

The only downside to an unplugged wedding

Fewer angles, and fewer photos overall

Sure, your Aunt Sally’s photos on her phone could get an angle the photographer didn’t grab. We’ve heard stories of so-and-so’s cousin’s wedding photographer who didn’t get the first kiss shot… so the only photo they have of that is from Uncle Jim’s camera that he caught sitting in the front row. Kudos to them, but these are exceptions, not the rule.

Photography isn’t perfect. Things go fast and yes, sometimes a photographer misses a key moment like the first kiss. Note: This is why it’s important for couples to take a nice, long smooch at the altar to give your photographer enough time to capture!

If you decide to go the unplugged route, you can share a special sign or notice to inform your guests of your wishes. It’s just a bit nicer a way to say, “put it away!”

Having a plugged-in reception is a great compromise

The camaraderie between guests at a table, or while dancing often lends to great candid and casual shots. If your photographer is off with the couple capturing the golden hour shots, there won’t be anyone to capture the moments within cocktail hour or the reception.

There are tons of apps out there to have your wedding guests upload photos if you’d like to gather images taken at your ceremony or reception. You can also have guests share their photos on social media using a wedding hashtag.

The thing is, as much as the internet and social networking are a part of our world, some couples honestly want nothing more than to be completely unplugged and disconnected from social media for that day. And that includes their guests!


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